Brixton news, rumour and general chat - January 2015

[friendofdorothy]

... we're good

We are rarely good on this thread. Good at what?

 

[el-ahrairah]

This is a wierd black and white distinction.

it's also not actually what i'm saying. i'm not talking about individuals. i'm talking about the system. which you presumably knew, because you're smart enough to use a computer without injuring yourself, but you'd love to present yourself as gentle tolerant types whilst the mean lefties peddle their bigotry.

 

[SarfLondoner]

You forgot burnt out cars.

I always thought they were art installations.

 

[Mr Retro]

it's also not actually what i'm saying. i'm not talking about individuals. i'm talking about the system.

If you say so, but you specifically asked elmpp that question, then called him/her a lickspittle so that seemed like you were talking about individuals to me.
But you know, as you are implying I'm a bit stupid so perhaps I've got it all wrong

Canterbury for me now

 

[editor]

I would rather have "todays" Brixton than old Brixton where the night time (and day) economy was a crack and heroin market, empty shops and crack houses every 10 feet, No go areas,estates where the postman had a police escort, Junkies piping crack and banging up heroin in stairwells and doorways,Muggings at knifepoint, prostitution,arguments settled with a shoot out. Dealers jumping into your car whist sat in the coldharbour lane traffic. I like a bit of nostalgia but fuck that.

Not sure what period you're talking about here, but I don't recall living in anything anywhere near as bad as that - and I've been in the 'notorious' Barrier Block for over 20 years and visiting Brixton for a lot longer.

And while I won't deny that things have been particularly grim at times, for every minus point in that list, there was plenty of plus points about living here, many of which have long since disappeared.

It seems that in modern Brixton, the amount of enjoyment you get out of the place is far more linked in with how much money you've got - and there's still plenty of people here who haven't got very much at all.

 

[elmpp]

Not sure what period you're talking about here, but I don't recall living in anything anywhere near as bad as that - and I've been in the 'notorious' Barrier Block for over 20 years and visiting Brixton for a lot longer.

And while I won't deny that things have been particularly grim at times, for every minus point in that list, there was plenty of plus points about living here, many of which have long since disappeared.

It seems that in modern Brixton, the amount of enjoyment you get out of the place is far more linked in with how much money you've got - and there's still plenty of people here who haven't got very much at all.

More of the old party line re. Brixton gone bad. No examples or depth to counterweight the detailed reasoning before it

 

[teuchter]

Maybe SarfLondoner is talking about more than 20 years ago, ie. pre gentrification.

 

[editor]

More of the old party line re. Brixton gone bad. No examples or depth to counterweight the detailed reasoning before it

Except that's not what I've said at all. Try reading it again.

 

[editor]

Maybe SarfLondoner is talking about more than 20 years ago, ie. pre gentrification.

I didn't realise Brixton was gentrified in 1995. I don't think most of the people living in my block thought that either.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

You forgot burnt out cars.

It was a very bad time....very very bad...in the days beofore champagne and cheese

 

[teuchter]

I didn't realise Brixton was gentrified in 1995.

Gentrifiers tend not to recognise themselves as such.

 

[boohoo]

It was a very bad time....very very bad...in the days beofore champagne and cheese

Never saw four together. Two but not four. And the empty land had prefabs.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Never saw four together. Two but not four. And the empty land had prefabs.

This is pre-prefab.

 

[peterkro]

Until recently I'd lived in Brixton since 1976 and the stories about crack houses and stabbing being as common as conservative racism is bollocks,believe me I dealt with street dealers (mainly class A's) for a long time and on the whole they were decent people.
What's more important to me is the resistance driving the NF out of Brixton,the attempted firebombing of Union place which resulted in a fascist being banged up for a long time.
I've seen people kick the shit out of muggers trying to rob tourists,I've seen women do the same to gropers in the market,the people who helped each other in the aftermath of the riots(I'd be in jail now if my lying witness's weren't better than the police ones) this revisionist history of Brixton of the wild west before the arrival of the civilising potential home owners is just that bollocks.
The comradeship between the various groups (gay,women,anarchists,trots,maoists all sorts was a sight to behold something that has unfortunately has receded in recent decades).

 

[SarfLondoner]

Not sure what period you're talking about here, but I don't recall living in anything anywhere near as bad as that - and I've been in the 'notorious' Barrier Block for over 20 years and visiting Brixton for a lot longer.

And while I won't deny that things have been particularly grim at times, for every minus point in that list, there was plenty of plus points about living here, many of which have long since disappeared.

It seems that in modern Brixton, the amount of enjoyment you get out of the place is far more linked in with how much money you've got - and there's still plenty of people here who haven't got very much at all.

The nineties and early 2000's. Do you not remember the shootings,muggings,stabbings,crack dens,empty run down houses, A stretch of coldharbour lane from dogstar to the ritzy that had an open crack market with an alledged turn over of a million £ a year.Angel town another open crack market,St matthews estate prostitution and crack, Shakespeare road untold crack dens. I could go on and on, It was fucking grim and dangerous and whilst i don't like or agree with a lot of the things happening in Brixton (and London) today and yes there was a community feeling and togetherness in some form,i wouldn't want to go back to that way of living nor do i want my kids or anyone elses to have witness that shit.

 

[boohoo]

peterkro I think we all have different versions of events depending on which part of the large area defined as Brixton we lived in, when we lived in it and what age we were. My story of growing up in council housing will be different from those in Stockwell gardens Estate and Stockwell Park estate.

 

[boohoo]

This is pre-prefab.

That would be after WW2?

 

[Nanker Phelge]

That would be after WW2?

I was thinking some time after the first Mad Max...

 

[leanderman]

The nineties and early 2000's. Do you not remember the shootings,muggings,stabbings,crack dens,empty run down houses, A stretch of coldharbour lane from dogstar to the ritzy that had an open crack market with an alledged turn over of a million £ a year.Angel town another open crack market,St matthews estate prostitution and crack, Shakespeare road untold crack dens. I could go on and on, It was fucking grim and dangerous and whilst i don't like or agree with a lot of the things happening in Brixton (and London) today and yes there was a community feeling and togetherness in some form,i wouldn't want to go back to that way of living nor do i want my kids or anyone elses to have witness that shit.

On moving to this road in 2006, I had not bargained for police riflemen to be using our front garden to cover a raid on a crack house opposite. Or for prostitutes to be pleasuring clients in cars parked outside our front door. I don't miss that.

 

[SarfLondoner]

Until recently I'd lived in Brixton since 1976 and the stories about crack houses and stabbing being as common as conservative racism is bollocks,believe me I dealt with street dealers (mainly class A's) for a long time and on the whole they were decent people.
What's more important to me is the resistance driving the NF out of Brixton,the attempted firebombing of Union place which resulted in a fascist being banged up for a long time.
I've seen people kick the shit out of muggers trying to rob tourists,I've seen women do the same to gropers in the market,the people who helped each other in the aftermath of the riots(I'd be in jail now if my lying witness's weren't better than the police ones) this revisionist history of Brixton of the wild west before the arrival of the civilising potential home owners is just that bollocks.
The comradeship between the various groups (gay,women,anarchists,trots,maoists all sorts was a sight to behold something that has unfortunately has receded in recent decades).

I agree with a lot of what you say but not the first paragraph, Decent people? The weed dealers maybe but the crack and heroin dealers, No chance, I can't find anything decent about someone who sells lethal and highly addictive drugs,Someone who lives by the gun,Someone who manipulates and bullies a mentally ill person into using there home as a crack den,Someone who has teenage girls selling themselves for there next fix.Someone that would stab you for an unpaid drug debt. I worked in a local cab office throughout the nineties and believe me there was crack houses and dealers everywhere.They keep our office and a few more in business when times were tough.

 

[SarfLondoner]

On moving to this road in 2006, I had not bargained for police riflemen to be using our front garden to cover a raid on a crack house opposite. Or for prostitutes to be pleasuring clients in cars parked outside our front door. I don't miss that.

You got the brunt of it up on the hill,Thats when it was pushed out of central Brixton.Same happened in the west end around Leicester square and Soho.The old bill pushed it on to Euston and Kings cross. Not in my backyard attitude but not a solution.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

I agree with a lot of what you say but not the first paragraph, Decent people? The weed dealers maybe but the crack and heroin dealers, No chance, I can't find anything decent about someone who sells lethal and highly addictive drugs,Someone who lives by the gun,Someone who manipulates and bullies a mentally ill person into using there home as a crack den,Someone who has teenage girls selling themselves for there next fix.Someone that would stab you for an unpaid drug debt. I worked in a local cab office throughout the nineties and believe me there was crack houses and dealers everywhere.They keep our office and a few more in business when times were tough.

Nothing decent about them and their activities, but I'll have their money...

 

[SarfLondoner]

Nothing decent about them and their activities, but I'll have their money...

I wasn't a driver.I didn't take there money. i was using it as point to explain how many dealers there were. Is that okay with you?

 

[editor]

Gentrifiers tend not to recognise themselves as such.

Not bothering with your nonsense, sorry.

 

[editor]

The comradeship between the various groups (gay,women,anarchists,trots,maoists all sorts was a sight to behold something that has unfortunately has receded in recent decades).

Spot on. And that is indeed some of what we've lost.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

I wasn't a driver.I didn't take there money. i was using it as point to explain how many dealers there were. Is that okay with you?

You didn't work for free did you?

 

[peterkro]

I agree with a lot of what you say but not the first paragraph, Decent people? The weed dealers maybe but the crack and heroin dealers, No chance, I can't find anything decent about someone who sells lethal and highly addictive drugs,Someone who lives by the gun,Someone who manipulates and bullies a mentally ill person into using there home as a crack den,Someone who has teenage girls selling themselves for there next fix.Someone that would stab you for an unpaid drug debt. I worked in a local cab office throughout the nineties and believe me there was crack houses and dealers everywhere.They keep our office and a few more in business when times were tough.

OK I can to agree to disagree.I've met (particularly one woman who supplied me when I worked at the Fridge and who some years later while visiting her niece who was my neighbour came up and hugged me and started crying because she'd left the life and so had I,wonderful woman) many people like that,Chemis for instance who'd been selling weed since the mid fifties.
One thing I remember clearly is buying a rock off a street dealer on Christmas eve one night in the late seventies,with no obvious reward he gave me an extra one and waltzed of with a very cheery "happy Xmas".
I agree with your general comment about the crims who operate on exploitative money making and the sex,slave trade etc.But on the user level it's not like that,most are decent people who are trying to hang on they are using the product and are generally generous as well as sound.
By the way you didn't work for the cab office near the Green Man by any chance,I was a farmer for a while and knew most of the drivers who where honest to a person.
.

 

[editor]

OK I can to agree to disagree.I've met (particularly one woman who supplied me when I worked at the Fridge and who some years later while visiting her niece who was my neighbour came up and hugged me and started crying because she'd left the life and so had I,wonderful woman) many people like that,Chemis for instance who'd been selling weed since the mid fifties.
One thing I remember clearly is buying a rock off a street dealer on Christmas eve one night in the late seventies,with no obvious reward he gave me an extra one and waltzed of with a very cheery "happy Xmas".
I agree with your general comment about the crims who operate on exploitative money making and the sex,slave trade etc.But on the user level it's not like that,most are decent people who are trying to hang on they are using the product and are generally generous as well as sound.
By the way you didn't work for the cab office near the Green Man by any chance,I was a farmer for a while and knew most of the drivers who where honest to a person.

I always remember the female heroin addict (whose name annoyingly escapes me right now) warning that buffoon MacIntyre to stop waving his phone around on Coldharbour Lane when he was so desperately trying to get mugged for his silly TV show.

 

[peterkro]

I always remember the female heroin addict (whose name annoyingly escapes me right now) warning that buffoon MacIntyre to stop waving his phone around on Coldharbour Lane when he was so desperately trying to get mugged for his silly TV show.

The stolen laptop scene from that show was filmed outside a mates flat,he was there for hours before a couple of blokes took him up on his flashing a laptop around and took it off him.(Myatts Field)

 

[editor]

The stolen laptop scene from that show was filmed outside a mates flat,he was there for hours before a couple of blokes took him up on his flashing a laptop around and took it off him.(Myatts Field)

It was embarrassing to watch - and it also proves that many of the myths about Brixton being some sort of lawless hellhole were just that - myths.